Just wondered .....how many people have gone down the smallholding route and how you are finding it (honestly)?
We bought one around 3 years ago, when the dc were 4 and 6...We did up the property and have had ponies, chickens, sheep, etc on the land, vegetable patches galore- bought the T shirt etc and so far, so................. utterly, utterly exhausted!
But.... I've now fallen out of love with it...My dh is constantly away - leaving me to manage it all 24/7 during the week ..I work (freelance from home - which means I'm on my own all day). I would love to work outside the home but can't due to the feeding schedule each morning, poo picking, topping up water etc getting kids to school etc, and as I can't leave the dog for more than 4-5 hours..We live in the middle of nowhere and there is no community as such.
So the reality is that I am very isolated and unfortunately, as a family we can NEVER go away (eg to pop to a friends for the weekend, or do any UK tourism stuff). And to actually have holiday for a week would mean paying for someone to come in and stay...which is unfeasible...
Weekends are spent completing HOURS of land management basics -mending fences, harrowing, pruning, weeding etc and the kids just don't seem too interested in the outdoor lifestyle any more ........so believe it or not they are INSIDE while we are OUTSIDE for most of the year (apart from high summer when they'll be playing outside).
Dh understands my isolation and the fact that I'm finding it too much ...anyone else find it hard or am I just utterly useless all round?
Very strongly tempted to move, get myself a job outside the home (arrange doggie daycare somehow!) and feel my age -only 40- instead of retired!!!!
Hope this isn't depressing reading for anyone considering a smallholding!